This invention relates generally to devices for storing and dispensing slices of bar-shaped soft foods such as butter, margarine or the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices for storing and dispensing pats of butter and margarine.
Various types of dispensers for storing and dispensing bars of butter or margarine are known. However, the soft quasi-liquid nature of butter and margarine, especially at room temperature, imposes limitations on the usefulness of conventional apparatus. Butter and margarine adhere to surfaces that they contact. When a stick of such material is pushed out of a container, a film of butter or margarine is left on these surfaces. Therefore, butter and margarine dispensers require frequent and careful cleaning to ensure that such deposits do not turn rancid. In addition, butter and margarine are easily pushed through orifices, butt-joints, and other such irregularities in the dispenser and can foul areas of dispensers which are not intended to come into contact with the butter or margarine.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,737,721 shows a slicing and storing device having a container body composed of left-hand and right-hand halves to facilitate disassembly. Although such design permits cleaning of the device, parts may be easily lost or misplaced while the container is disassembled and the requirement to complete disassemble and reassemble the container each time it is cleaned is cumbersome. In addition, a channel is formed under the floor of the container body to house a portion of the metal tape which is used to push the butter out of the container. Butter or margarine is easily pushed into this channel through the butt-joint formed between the two body halves. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 2,723,454 shows a butter slicer having a hinged container. A conveyor is used to push the butter out of the container. Deposits of butter on the conveyor will be wiped onto the floor of the container as the conveyor moves the butter. The conveyor assembly must be removed from the container to provide access for cleaning.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,501 shows a slicing and storing device having an integral rectangular box-like container. A cruciform pusher is used to push the butter out of the container. The only access for cleaning the interior of the container is through the open end of the container. The pusher disposed in the container interferes with this access. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 2,580,864 shows a dispenser for foods such as cheese, margarine and butter having an integral box-like container whose only access is through the opening. In addition, the screw used to push the food out of the container is disposed within the container. The thread of such a screw is easily fouled with the food and is extremely difficult to clean. Food materials which are missed during cleaning may contact new food materials placed in the container, contaminating the new food.